xviii, 716 pages ; 23 cm

Religion & the Decline of Magic is Keith Thomas's classic history of the magical beliefs held by people on every level of English society in the 16th and 17th centuries and how these beliefs were a part of the religious and scientific assumptions of the time. It is not only a major historical and religious work, but a thoroughly enjoyable book filled with fascinating facts and original insights into an area of human nature that remains controversial today- the belief in the supernatural that still continues in the modern world

Includes bibliographical references and index

Prologue : 1. The Environment -- Religion : -- 2. The Magic of the Medieval Church -- 3. The Impact of the Reformation -- 4. Providence -- 5. Prayer and Prophecy -- 6. Religion and the People -- Magic : -- 7. Magical Healing -- 8. Cunning Men and Popular Magic -- 9. Magic and Religion -- Astrology : -- 10. Astrology: its Practice and Extent -- 11. Astrology: its Social and Intellectual Role -- 12. Astrology and Religion -- The appeal to the past : -- 13. Ancient Prophecies -- Witchcraft : -- 14. Witchcraft in England: the Crime and its History -- 15. Witchcraft and Religion -- 16. The Making of a Witch -- 17. Witchcraft and its Social Environment -- 18. Witchcraft: Decline -- Allied beliefs : -- 19. Ghosts and Fairies -- 20. Times and Omens -- Conclusion : -- 21. Some Interconnections -- 22. The Decline of Magic

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